Georgetown: A Town Divided, Yet Again

By: Lawrence, “Lonnie” Brennan – May, 2011

Hi. Did I mention that Georgetown School Superintendent Carol Jacobs will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money this year? And that we have a lovely $1.2 million dollar override that, by the time you read this, is supposed to be inflicted upon the taxpayer?

Someday, perhaps 20 years from now when a certain clique of soccer moms and dads ─ who always get what they want ─ find themselves staring at retirement, perhaps, just perhaps, a few of them might look back at today’s vote, and realize what pain they inflicted upon the less fortunate in our town. Did I mention that Georgetown School Superintendent Carol Jacobs will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money this year? And you call those of us who oppose you heartless? Does giving $174,300 to a supt. of approximately 1,500 students with more administrators than you can imagine (including a curriculum coordinator in excess of $106,000) seem cheap?

Hmmm, the vote is just three days away. Just three days past this newspaper’s deadline, when the beautiful people from the beautiful houses with the beautiful neighbors, most of whom have never volunteered for anything, nor voted before, will come out in droves, and inflict increased taxes on their less fortunate neighbors, all “for the children.” Did I mention that Georgetown School Superintendent Carol Jacobs will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money this year? Again, does this sound cheap? But they say it is, so it must be so.

How are you doing? How do you feel about having your taxes increased to the point where you are forced to pay $100 per WEEK in taxes ($5,200.00 per year), just to keep up with the beautiful people, and make sure the school superintendent gets paid more than any others around? Did I mention that Georgetown School Superintendent Carol Jacobs will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money this year? Hmm, and we’re called heartless and cheap?

Is there a chance the override will fail? They’re organized, they’ve been sending out mailings, putting up signs, phone calling constantly (bugging the hell out of folks) getting their voter lists going…yup, they could do it. But does it matter? Either way, you might want to note that if it fails and you’re asked to donate school supplies or toilet paper to the schools, with another $6,000 increase, Georgetown School Superintendent Carol Jacobs will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money this year. Sure could buy a lot of toilet paper for $6,000. And we’re called idiots, and we’re called heartless, and we’re told to buzz off, and that we’re cheap. Does $174,300 seem cheap? Does it?

And the whopper mis-direct award of the year (politically correct way for calling someone a politician, in the darkest sense of the word), goes to School Committee Chair Anne Donahue, who, in a most disappointing performance at Town Meeting, when asked if the upcoming budget included increases in salaries for the administrators, replied, yes, but the Supt. took a zero last year. Thanks Ms. Donahue for the history lesson, but you failed to mention that same Supt. will get a nice $6,000 increase this year, and she will garner $174,300 of taxpayer money.

Does it matter? Nope. No one cares. In 2007, when the last override failed, the school committee, then led by George Moker, stuck up their middle fingers to the taxpayers and went ahead with increased spending anyway: they inked a new contract with the teachers, and even found ways to give coaches that were making upwards of $5,000 a season, another $500 raise! Money for everyone. Who cares? They’ll get it. It’s for the children.

I love the schools. We have incredible teachers. And every time we have a retirement, we reportedly receive more resumes than anyone can imagine as folks leap to teach in this community.

But, I must ask, when is the school committee, when are the beautiful people, going to wake up and see the economy? When are they going to see their less fortunate neighbors? Oh, wait, I forgot. Their message is: we’re here, move out if you can’t afford us! And so, I have to order some bumper stickers: “My superintendent makes more $ than yours! Georgetown: Small But Expensive.”

Tom Duggan is president and publisher of The Valley Patriot Newspaper in North Andover Massachusetts, a #1 Best Selling Author, Host of the Paying Attention Radio Program on WCAP in Lowell, lectures on media bias and police issues, is a former Lawrence School Committeeman, former political director for Mass. Citizens Alliance, and a 1990 Police Survivor.
You can email your comments to valleypatriot@aol.com.